Viaduct project out to bid

The state has put a major contract to prepare for replacement of the Alaskan Way Viaduct out to bid.

The contract, estimated at $10 million to $15 million, includes moving utilities; excavating, shoring and backfilling trenches; and removing and disposing of contaminated and unsuitable soil. The work is necessary to prepare the southern mile of the viaduct for removal.

State officials expect construction to begin this June and sustain an estimated 150 jobs. The state will advertise a second contract, estimated at more than $300 million, this fall.

“This contract gets us one step closer to removing the viaduct, which begins in earnest this fall,” state Transportation Secretary Paula Hammond said in a news release. “In addition, it will create jobs, which is a top priority during these difficult times.”

The project is a safety priority because the southern mile of the viaduct rests in unstable soil that could liquefy in an earthquake. The foundations of the replacement road will reach down into stable soil.

The new southern mile of the roadway will have three lanes in each direction, side by side, with new ramps near the stadiums.